Teeth

I broke a tooth the other day and once again in the category of how things are improving, as I sat in the dentist's chair I was reminded how much better this was going to be than years ago.  Today, it's almost impossible to have any work done without a local anesthetic.  And it's not given with a needle the size of a hollowed out six-inch nail either.  Furthermore before the needle you get a little pad held against the gum by the nurse to numb the area - Wow, that's some improvement right there. 

I remember years ago having a sore gum just from the needle and it went on for days.  The anesthetic also wears off about the time you get in the car afterwards, and doesn't last all day and make you spill soup down your shirt front at lunch.  Then the filling itself is now a resin, treated with a little lamp, and not half a pound of lead that would weigh you down for the rest of your life.  So the next time you're tempted to think things were better years ago think about a future visit to your friendly dentist.  If you are new to the blog or didn't catch it, here is a clip sent to me back in June about an Indian street dentist - pretty crude work but effective. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR8tIjTykbE